Gas-lighter.



J. K. RUSH.

GAS LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 29, 1911.

1,063,392., Patented June 3,1913.

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JOSEPH K. RUSH, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

GAS-LIGHTER.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPI-I K. RUsI-I, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Lighters, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invent-ion relates to certain improvements in gas burners and refers more particularly to coacting means for controlling and igniting the gas as a unitary article of manufacture.

One of the objects is to provide a simple, economical and compact burner having a gas controlling valve and coacting electric igniter constituting a unitary article of manufacture capable of being applied to any of the o-rdinary gas lighting fixtures now in` common use for burning either acetylene or other illuminating gas.

Another object is to provide means whereby the gas controlling valve will be successively opened and closed step by step progressively in one and the same direction at each operation of the movable terminal of the gniting device in such direction, allowing said terminal to ret-urn to its normal starting position independent-ly of the valve, thereby reducing the liability of excessive wear in any one or more points on the valve or its seat.

A further object is to locate the terminals of the igniting device normally some distance apart at opposite sides of the axis of the burner out of the path of the flame so as to necessitate the travel of the movable terminal entirely across the intervening space and back to substantially the center of the burner before ignition takes place, and at the same time to cause the initial movement of the terminalto open the valve and allow ample time for the displacement of air and escape of gas from the burner before the igniting spark is produced.

Other objects relating to specific parts of the device will be broughtout in the following description.

Tn the drawings-Figures l and 2 are opposite face views of a gas burner embodying the various features of my invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same burner taken at right angles to that shown in Figs. l and 2. Figs. t and 5 are longitudinal vertical sectional views taken respectively on lines 4 4, Fig. 2 and 5-5 Fig. 3. Figs. 6

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 29, 1911.

Patented June 3,1913.

Serial No. 668,546.

and 7 are enlarged transverse sectional views taken respectively on lines 6 6 and 7--7, Fig. 2, showing in Fig. 6 the means for insulating the fixed terminal from the body of the burner, while Fig. 7 shows more particularly the valve and its tightening means and also its connection with the ratchet vwheel and movable terminals. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View taken on line 8-8, Fig. 3 showing more particularly the retracting spring for the movable terminal and limiting stops therefor together with the ratchet and pawl by which rotary movement is transmitted from the movable terminal to the valve. Figs. 9 and l() are enlarged perspective views of the detached valve and ratchet wheel respectively. Fig. 11 is an enlarged top plan of one end of the valve and its tightening means showing also the adjacent portion of the valve case and section. Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic plan of the sparking terminals showing their relative paths of movement.

This gas burner comprises a one-piece metal body or valve case lhaving a tapering opening -2 extending transversely therethrough from side to side for receiving a correspondingly tapered rotary valve -3-. The lower end of the valve case --lat the lower side of the rotary valve is tubular and provided with internal threads 4.- for connection with a gas fixture not shown, the remaining port-ions of said valve case being provided with a rela` tively small central lengthwise passage 5- communicating with the valve opening -2- and having its lower end communicating with the interior of the tubular socket lito permit the gas to pass therethrough when the valve --3- is opened as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The valve 2S- is provided with relatively small transverse passages -6- intersecting each other at substantially right angles in substantially the same plane as the longitudinal passage -5- so as to establish a passage-way for the gas when registered therewith, the intervening portions of the valves serving to cut off the passage of gas therethrough when registered with the passage -5-. In other words the valve is provided with a series of, in this instance, four, branch passages merging at the center and with a corresponding number of intervening closures -7- for alternately and successively opening and closing the passage-way -5-- as the valve is rotated step by step in one and the same direction in a manner hereinafter described. The outer end of the valve case --l-- is also tubular forming a socket -S- in which is tightly fitted a gas tip -9- having' a central passage l0- eommunicating with the passage -5`-- and branch passages -llterminating in outlet ports l2 in the upper inner sides of the diverging arms as 12S- of thc gas tip, said being made of lava or other suitable heat resisting material.

Suitable means is provided for taking up th'e wear of the valve 3 and holding it with a reasonably tight fit in its seat and A for this purpose I have provided a spring take up washer' -llwhich is preferably concave-convex in cross section and provided with a lengthwise slot open at one end to permit it to be passed over a reduced portion l5- on the smaller end of the valve -3- and engaged with an annular shoulder or head -lG- on the outer end of the valve some distance from the adjacent face of the valve case -1- so as to continuously press the valve to its seat in the direction of its taper, said spring washer having opposite sides thereof engaged with the adjacent face of the valve case and at least one side provided with a lateral offset 17- entering a recess in the valve case to prevent turning or displacement of the washer as the valve is rotated.

The electric gas igniting device preferably consists of a spring terminal -18- and a coacting rocking terminal 1Q-e, the spring terminal 1S- constituting one end of an upright coil 1S/- of relatively small wire mounted upon a stationary support 20- which is secured by fastening means as screws -21- to one side of the valve case' -l and is insulated therefrom by vulcanized fiber or other insulating material 2S- as best seen in Fig. 6.

The fixed terminal support 20- is preferably made of thin sheet metal having a lateral offset to which the coil -lS- is secured in an upright position some distance to one side of the axis of the burner, the terminal 18 being disposed just above the upper end of the diverging sides --13- of the gas tip -9- and extends horizontally and transversely to the opposite side of the burner so as to swing about the vertical axis of the coil and across the upper end of the gas tip.

The movable terminal -19- preferably consists of a bell crank lever of comparatively thin sheet metal journaled upon a reduced cylindrical portion -Qion the large end of the valve -3 and therefore at the side of the valve .case opposite that to which the fixed terminal support 20 is secured. The longer arm of themovable terminal 19- extends upwardly some distance above the gas tip 9 and terminates in a hook -25, said terminal -19- being normally but yieldingly held in the positio-n shown by full lines in Figs. l and 2 with its terminal end at the side of the axis of the burner opposite that to which the terminal finger -18- is normally positioned so as to normally establish a relatively wide gap between the contact portions of the terminals to reduce the liability of short circuits in case one or the other of the terminals should become slightly displaced from its normal position either by weakening of the springs or by other cause. The shorter arm of the terminal lever 19- is attached to a pull cord Q8- by which the terminals may be brought into cooperative contact for producing a spark to ignite the gas and also for the purpose of operating the valve in a'man'ner presently described. This valve operating mechanism' preferably comprises a ratchet -29- and a pawl \-30-, the ratchet -29- being provided with a central angular opening 31- fitting upon a corresponding angular portion- -32- on the adjacent end of the valve -3- and is held against displacement by a screw --33 entering a threaded aperture 34- in said valve. The ratchet --e29-` is therefore coaxial with the valve and is spaced apartv from the adjacent side of the valve case 1 to permit the terminal lever 1Q- and a suitable retracting spring -35- to be mounted upon the cylindrical portion -24- of said valve. Y

The retracting spring for the terminal lever 1Q- is coiled around the reduced portion -2lat the large end of the valve -3- and has one end attached to the shorter arm `of the lever #1Q- and its other e'nd attached toa lug or pin -36- projecting laterally from the adjacent side of the valve case -lso as to return the terminal -19- to its normal position after each operation by the cord -2S-. he degree cf rocking movement of the terminal 19- is limited by stop shoulders S7-and --38-` forming a part vof the hub thereof and spaced some distance apart circumferentially to engage opposite sides of a stop pin 3G- j The gravity pawl -130- is pivoted at 411- toy the terminal lever -19- and weighted so as to engage the teeth of the ratchet 29 to rotate the valve one tooth space at a time at each operation of the terminal -19- by 'means of the pull-cord -28- and is( adjusted so as to rotate the valve one-eighthiof a Vrevolution at 'each operation of the lever from its normal position, the passages -6- and closures Zf in the valve being positioned so that such valve will be either open or closed when the Y their normal positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and that the valve -3 is closed, then at the initial operation of the lever m19- by means of the pull-cord -28-, the valve will begin to open and will be fully opened, while the terminal end of the lever is traveling across the intervening space between the diverging sides -13 of the gas tip -9- to the position indicated by dotted lines at the right of Fig. 1, thereby causing the hook-shaped extremity -25 to ride against, under and beyond the spring terminal -1S- and incidentally making and breaking contact on the forward stroke but out of the path of the escaping air or gas, leaving said spring terminal in the path of return movement of the hook-shaped extremity -25- of the terminal w19- so that when the pull upon the terminal 19- is relieved to allow said terminal to be returned by the retracting spring S5- the upper end of the terminal 1Q- will engage the free end of the spring terminal 18 and carry it to substantially the center of the burner directly in the path of the escaping gas before breaking contact to produce the igniting spark. The terminal lever 1Q-- must therefore be moved entirely across or from one side to the opposite side of the tip of the burner and returned to approximately its central position before the igniting spark is produced, thereby allowing ample time for the displacement of any air and escape of gas from the. burner and assuring the ignition of the gas before the movable terminal -19- is returned to its normal position by the retracting spring -35-, leaving the valve open to continue the burning of the gas until the operation of the terminal lever is repeated to close the valve and shut ofl the gas.

The contacting portions of the terminals -18- and -19- move in intersecting paths as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 12 and are arranged so that the break in the contact to produce the igniting spark will occur when the terminal contact 19- reaches approximately its central position on the return to its normal position, thereby producing the spark directly in the center of the burner where the escape of gas is concentrated.

It is now evident thatby successive operations of the contact terminal -19- from its normal position, the valve -3- will be rotated step by step progressively in the same direction and will be alternately opened and closed and it is also evident that by defer-ring the break in the Contact between the terminals for producing the spark until after the terminal --19 has been moved entirely across or from side by side and returned to approximately its central position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, ample time is aorded for the displacement of air and escape of ignitible gas from the burner.

Another important feature of the invention lies in. the fact that the valve is moved progressively step by step in the same direction and that the retracting spring -35- is employed only to return the terminal -19- and by positioning the said terminals normally at opposite sides of the axis of the burner, there is less liability of accidental short circuiting between said terminals from weakening of any of the springs or lost motion between any of the moving members.

The contact terminals may be connected in any well known manner to a suitable source of electric energy not shown, one side of the igniting circuit being connected by a wire zzto the terminal support --Q0--, While the other side of the circuit may be grounded upon the pipe to which the burner is connected.

What I claim is:

l. In combination with a gas burner having a rotary valve, an electric igniting device comprising contact terminals normally positioned at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the axis of said valve7 means for moving minal is being moved to and beyond the normal position of the other terminal so as to leave said other terminal in the return path of the Erst named terminal7 additional means actuated by the first named means for adjusting the valve rotarily to allow the escape of air while the first named terminal is being moved to and beyond the normal position of the other terminal, and a spring for returning the first named terminal to its normal position independently of the valve, said terminals breaking con tact to produc-e the igniting spark on the return of the first named terminal.

2. In combination with a gas burner having a rotary gas controlling valve, an electric igniting device comprising contact terminals normally disposed at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the axis of the valve, means for moving one of said terminals from its normal position to and beyond the normal position of the other terminal so as to leave said other terminal in the return path of the first named terminal to make and break contact on such return, means actuated by the movement of the first named terminal from its normal position for opening the valve, and a spring for retracting said first named terminal to its normal position independently of the valve.

3. ln combination with a gas burner having a rotary valve, an electric igniting device comprising a spring contact terminal normally positioned some distance to one side of the vertical plane of the axis of the valve7 a separate contact terminal normally positioned some distance to the opposite side of said plane and movable to and beyond the normal position of the lirst named terminal, the said first named terminal being positioned in the return path of the second named terminal to produce the igniting spark on the return of the second named terminal, means for moving the second named terminal from its normal position, additional means actuated by the first named means for adjusting the valve rotarily While the second named terminal is being moved from its normal position and separate means for returning the second named terminal to its normal position independently of the valve.

4. In combination with a gas burner having a normally closed rotary valve, an electric igniting` device comprisinga spring terminal attached to the burner at one end of the valve and having its contact portion normally disposed some distance to one side of the vertical plane of the axis of said valve, a separate contact terminal loosely journaled upon the opposite end of the valve and having its contact portion normally disposed some distance to the opposite side of said plane, means for moving the second named terminal about the axis of the Valve for shifting its Contact portion to and be` yond the normal position of the contact portion of the first named terminal leaving the contact portion of the first named terminal. in the return path of the second named terminal to produce an igniting spark on such return, means for moving the second named terminal from its normal position, additional means actuated by the rst named means for opening the valve to allow the escape of air While the second named terminal is being moved from its normal positi-on and allowing time :for the escape of gas before the igniting spark takes place on the return of the second named terminal and separate retracting means for said second named terminal.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of December 1911i JOSEPH K. RUSH.

lVitnesses H. E. CHASE, E. F. SPEARING.

Copie: of this patent 'may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

